ADSynch Light: Case Study 1

The requirements were simple in definition, though no solution allowed these to be met whilst maintaining a setup that was:

quick and easy to implement

providing detailed control and monitoring capabilities

easy to adapt to current and changing synchronization needs

transparent in administration

The subsidiaries needed to synchronize user contact information, messaging information for mail enabled group, and also those public folders, were the mail contact were known in public. The requirements were typical for other GAL synchronization projects, but included additional specifics:

Synchronize user contact information, including specific HR fields

Do not overwrite messaging information that has been added in the target messaging domain

Double check the availability of smtp addresses with other subsidiaries’ messaging systems

Change the format of fields to match naming rules in the target messaging domains (displaynames, first and last names, …)

Use target addresses other than the primary SMTP address – but automatically change to target address if specific conditions are met

Synchronize only delta change to minimize traffic

Detailed reporting on any changes (adds, deletes, updates)

Performance

After testing various synchronization systems available on the market like Microsoft Identity Integration Server (MI IS) / Identity Integration Feature Pack (IIFP), these have been discarded because they lack the flexibility, easy of configuration and use, reporting options or did require non existing service account rights / TCP/IP port network connections. Also, cost estimation for MIIS as a solution concluded in many days / weeks of development and testing – in this case very expensive and inflexible, not supportable solution for the task at hand.

The responsible messaging system manager now runs ADSynch Light from visioningPro, because it is easy concerning installation and implementation of all required synchronization rules. The system now runs 10 different synchronization setups, having synchronized many 100.000 object property changes. Detailed logs are available, so any change can be monitored, reconstructed and stored. The synchronization run at a 15 minute interval and require about 1-2 minutes for all synchronizations, Even a non delta synchronization runs within a few minutes updating about 100.000 objects and millions of attributes.

Note: ADSynch Light can be setup to meet all of your requirements not only within a few minutes and even by non Active Directory / Messaging experts, saving you time and money – it also requires no extra licenses for server or databases.